Memorial Day/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Moby and Tim Three snare drummers are marching in a parade. They are followed by servicemen in Navy uniforms playing other instruments and a car driven by a veteran. Crowds line the street and wave American flags. Tim and Moby wave from the crowd. Moby hands Tim a letter. MOBY: Beep. Tim reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, our school gets Memorial Day off which is awesome; but can you tell us a little bit about why? Thanks! From Buster Moon, and Makini. Hey guys! Memorial Day is a federal holiday, recognized by the U.S. Government. That's why public schools and lots of other businesses close their doors. An animation shows a man failing to open the door of a bank. A sign on the door reads "Closed for Memorial Day." TIM: Just like on Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, and Thanksgiving! Three images show Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking at a podium, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and a Thanksgiving table. TIM: These holidays celebrate important people and events in our nation's history. Memorial Day is about remembering American soldiers who've died while serving their country. An image shows rows of graves of World War II servicemen. An American flag is planted in front of each grave. TIM: It falls on the last Monday in May, just before the start of summer. So a lot of folks celebrate with cookouts and stuff like that. An image shows a May calendar, with the last Monday of the month circled. An image at the top of the calendar shows a Memorial Day picnic in a park. The scene comes to life and an animation shows children playing and a man barbequing TIM: But with all the parties and parades, it's easy to forget why we have a long weekend. Moby holds a hot dog to his open mouth. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Most cultures have some tradition of remembering fallen soldiers. In America, the custom dates back to colonial times. The people picnicking in the park are replaced by people in colonial clothing. TIM: But the holiday's formal roots can be traced back to the Civil War. Six hundred thousand Americans died in that conflict, the most in our nation's history. During the war, Confederate families decorated graves with flags and flowers. An animation shows Civil War soldiers fighting on a battlefield. The image shifts to show a Confederate widow and her son visiting graves in the field. TIM: Then the North picked up on the practice, with a holiday called Decoration Day. After the war, it gradually became known as Memorial Day. Another image shows a grieving woman placing a flag by a Union grave. Another image shows a banner that reads "One country undivided, with liberty and justice for all" under text that reads "Memorial Day." TIM: But southern states continued to remember their dead with a variety of traditions. MOBY: Beep. TIM: The holiday as we know it emerged after World War I. America lost more than 100,000 troops in that war. It was a bitter blow for so many men to die so far from home. An animation shows World War I soldiers charging out of a bunker amid gunfire. The scene shifts to show the aftermath of scorched land and trees. TIM: But unlike the Civil War, the sacrifice brought North and South together. Families from all over the country mourned a common loss. A split-screen shows images of the grieving Northern and Southerners visiting separate graveyards. The images are replaced with a single image of men and women visiting a large military graveyard. TIM: It was also a sign of our growing influence around the world. America began to see itself as a defender of democracy. So instead of separate holidays from state to state, we started to observe Memorial Day together, as one nation. An animation shows people walking by a poster hung on a brick wall. It reads "YOU Buy a Liberty bond lest I perish!" and features the Statue of Liberty pointing to the viewer. MOBY: Beep? TIM: World War II strengthened that sense of shared purpose. Millions of Americans volunteered to go overseas and fight the Axis Powers. We lost more than 400,000 troops in Europe and the Pacific. An animation shows a new poster that reads "Young men enlist now! U.S. Army." It features Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer. A line of young men stand next to the poster. TIM: On the homefront, civilians pitched in any way they could. They cut back on purchasing goods that would be useful in the war effort. An animation shows a poster that reads "Gas is precious; Use it sparingly." TIM: Some planted victory gardens, growing vegetables for soldiers and civilians. Communities collected scrap metal to be made into arms and ammunition. And any soldiers returning home were treated as heroes. An image shows a poster of a woman holding cauliflower. It reads "Dig for Victory; Grow your own vegetables." Another poster reads "Save your cans; pass the ammunition; prepare your tin cans for war" and features a soldier firing an automatic weapon. The ammunition cartridges are made of tomato cans. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Actually, Memorial Day still wasn't a national holiday. That was established in 1971, during the Vietnam War. Vietnam didn't have the clear objectives of World War II. Many Americans strongly disagreed with our presence there. An animation shows U.S. troops carrying a wounded soldier to a U.S. Army helicopter. TIM: Their anger was particularly focused on the draft. That was the system for randomly selecting people to serve in the military. Rich or poor, if you were drafted, you had to serve. An image shows a map of the United States filled with figures. Each figure has a number from zero to nine above their head. A hand spins a number spinner and the arrow lands on the number four. Each figure below a number four turns green. TIM: Vietnam was so unpopular, the government got rid of the draft. Now our armed forces are all-volunteer. Anyone who doesn't want to serve doesn't have to. An image shows men and women of the armed forces in uniform. Another image shows the map of the United States populated with figures. Only the figures that raise their hands turn green. TIM: You can't really argue with that system, but it may be the cause of a growing division: In rural areas with few job opportunities, lots of people enlist in the military…while in wealthy cities, recruitment numbers tend to be lower. That means that in times of war, Americans aren't sharing the sacrifices equally. An animation shows a young man in the rural countryside. The scene changes to show him in combat gear next to military planes. The other half of the screen shows a man in civilian clothing standing in a city park. When the serviceman boards an airplane, the civilian walks through a college campus. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Yup, we've been at war since 2001, even if it doesn't always feel that way. The War in Afghanistan is the longest in U.S. history. There are thousands of American troops still stationed there. And no immediate plans for withdrawing them. An animation shows servicemen firing guns in a desert while a helicopter flies overhead. TIM: On top of that, the U.S. has more than a million soldiers in countries all over the world! Most are in peace-keeping and other non-combat roles. Their missions are often dangerous and always demanding. They require months or years away from family and the comforts of home. An animation shows troops marching in a foreign country while locals look on. Another shows a serviceman waving a medical vehicle through a checkpoint. A third animation shows a servicewoman reading a letter next to an opened care package. TIM: Quite a contrast to how most of us spend our Memorial Day. Of course, people are free to celebrate however they want. That very freedom is what our servicemen and women fight to protect. Just keep in mind what Memorial Day is really about. An animation shows the Memorial Day picnic in the park. A man barbequing hands a hamburger to an older man wearing a "Korea Veteran" hat. MOBY: Beep? TIM: More than one million Americans have died in uniform. So take time to pay your respects, even if it's just to spare a thought. An animation shows people visiting a military graveyard. TIM: There's a national moment of silence at 3 p.m. The President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. It's dedicated to those who died on foreign soil and never returned home. An animation shows members of the armed forces standing in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns. The tomb reads "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." A wreath is laid next to it. TIM: Flags are flown at half-staff until noon to mourn the dead. Then raised to full height for the rest of the day to honor the veterans who are still with us. An animation shows the flag above the White House being raise from half-staff to full height. TIM: Many Americans decorate relatives' graves, or attend parades. An animation shows a woman laying flowers on the grave of a World War II veteran. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Totally, showing support for our troops is a good idea any day of the year. Like sending letters and care packages to deployed soldiers. It means a lot to them to get something special while they're away. Tim and Moby approach people collecting snacks for the troops. Moby places a bag of party mix in a care package. An animation shows a servicewoman opening the care package and reading a letter. TIM: You can also raise money for one of the many charities devoted to our armed forces. They provide financial, medical, and educational support to soldiers and their families. Images show a donation jar filled with money, a "Warrior Run" race bib, and a box labeled "Veteran clothing drive." MOBY: Beep! Moby leads the marching band while dressed in a band uniform. He twirls batons in both hands and does tricks as the music plays. TIM: Huh. So that's what he's been up to Monday nights. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts